Age-Dependent and Tissue-Specific Alterations in the rDNA Clusters of the C. A. Meyer Cultivated Cell Lines.

Long-term cultivation of cell lines leads to a decreasing synthesis of the biologically active substances used in traditional medicine. To gain insight into the cellular mechanisms which may influence this process, we analyzed variations within the rDNA cluster of the Oriental ginseng cell lines. The cell lines were cultivated for 6 and 24 years; the number of nucleoli and chromosomes was analyzed.